Sport • Page 3
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Trans rights are human rights!
Sex Matters is a human-rights organisation. We believe that universal human rights form a powerful framework for thinking about how a diversity of freedoms can be respected, while protecting against harm and maintaining an open and prosperous society. It is sometimes argued that those who call for clarity on...
9th November 2022
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Why sex matters for human rights – our organisational framework
Sex Matters’ mission is to promote clarity on sex in law and policy in order to protect everybody’s human rights. This document sets out the key human rights that are relevant, and why and how our work is guided by the promotion of human rights. (Also see our short guide...
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Petition champions
After just three days we were over a quarter of the way to the 100,000 signatures needed to prompt a parliamentary debate. We’ve now got more than 40,000 signatures. Thank you to everyone who has already signed the Make the Equality Act Clear Petition. Every signature helps! If everyone...
5th November 2022
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Women’s Rights Network
Combined grassroots groups of women who oppose sex self-ID. Supports local, in-person networking. Has topic-related groups (such as sports, prisons, schools) that create resources, including videos and podcasts and social-media posts, and coordinate national campaigns. Was a core member of the “Respect My Sex” campaign before the local elections...
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Sex and the law – share our short guide
What does intersex mean? Are you allowed to mention someone’s sex if they don’t want you to? Has someone with a gender recognition certificate changed their sex? Do you have the right to privacy when you’re taking your clothes off? Is it discrimination to keep male people out of...
4th August 2022
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Why do single-sex services matter?
In February 2022 Sex Matters undertook a survey to find out why single-sex services matter to people. The response was astonishing. In a little over a week we received over 7,000 replies, nine out of ten of them from women. Many included details about how the loss of everyday...
19th July 2022
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Groups defending sex-based rights
Overview of groups opposing sex self-ID in the UK, set up by individuals and collectives concerned by the failure of established third-sector organisations to defend women’s sex-based rights, child safeguarding and evidence-based policymaking. Also listed on our website.
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Sex Matters response to “More in Common”
More in Common is an organisation that seeks to “build societies and communities that are “stronger, more united, and more resilient to the increasing threats of polarisation and social division”. Perhaps as a response to this challenge from Maya Forstater, it has applied its approach to the gender wars....
16th June 2022
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Sex Matters in Sport – webinar
Developmental biologist Dr Emma Hilton and sports scientist Dr Ross Tucker in a conversation moderated by Helen Joyce, author of Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality. Hear from two of the scientists who have done most to ensure that policy-makers consider female athletes’ interests as they consider whether to allow...
30th May 2022
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Women’s cycling race saved after campaigns raise public support
UPDATE : Saturday 16th April
Sex Matters and Fair Play For Women welcome the announcement that the Women’s CiCLE Classic has been saved, with an offer of a three-year sponsorship deal being finalised by the race organiser.
13th April 2022
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British Cycling and Emily Bridges
Sex Matters welcomes the statement from British Cycling that Emily Bridges is not eligible to participate in the British National Omnium Championship on Saturday 2nd April 2022, following the application of Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) guidelines. British Cycling has chosen to recognise Emily’s disappointment, but not the distress, anger, and...
30th March 2022
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Should trans women be able to compete in female sport?
Ex-Team GB athlete Mara Yamauchi (a member of Sex Matters’ advisory group) interviewed by Andrew Doyle for GB News.
13:01 video on YouTube -
Fair Game: biology, fairness and transgender athletes in women’s sports
Jon Pike, Emma Hilton, and Leslie A. Howe lay out the physical advantages of athletes who are born male, and reject gender-based criteria for competition, proposing instead a solution that will allow all athletes to compete fairly.
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On the issue of female athletics, the IOC has shirked its duty to lead
Doriane Coleman and Martina Navratilova analyse the recent IOC Framework on Fairness, Inclusion, and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations
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Women in sport, gender identity and the Equality Act
Cathy Devine’s article ‘Female Sports Participation, Gender Identity and the British 2010 Equality Act’ was published in the journal Sport, Ethics and Philosophy (open access version). In this guest post, Cathy Devine explains her findings on the impact of “self-identification eligibility criteria” on women in sport. If the criteria...
11th November 2021
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Guidance for transgender inclusion in domestic sport
September 2021 report based on the latest research, evidence and studies from the Sports Councils Equality Group, made up of the five Sports Councils responsible for supporting and investing in sport across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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Female Sports Participation, Gender Identity and the British 2010 Equality Act
Cathy Devine’s manuscript copy of her paper in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, which investigates the impact on the inclusion of girls and women, of eligibility policies adopting ‘self-identification of gender’ guidelines for the inclusion of transgender people in sport, at participation rather than elite levels.
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EHRC to issue guidance on single-sex and separate-sex services
Baroness Falkner, Chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission has told ministers that the body is acting on a request by MPs to issue hospitals, schools, prisons and private firms with “worked examples and guidance” that will “provide clarity … on the provision of single-sex services.” It is...
18th October 2021
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Inclusion or fairness: new guidance for sport in the UK
Sex Matters response to the Sports Council Equality Group Guidance on Transgender Inclusion. On 30th September, the Sports Council Equality Group (SCEG), which is composed of members of the five major sports councils within the United Kingdom, published new guidance for UK National Governing Bodies and Sports Governing Bodies....
30th September 2021
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Truth and reconciliation
How should the public sector leave the Stonewall Champions Scheme?
6th June 2021
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Time to #LeaveStonewall
This is the letter we have sent to the CEOs of the 850 organisations that are members of the Stonewall Diversity Champions Scheme. Re: Leaving the Stonewall Diversity Champions Scheme We are writing to call on you to withdraw from the scheme, both for the sake of your own...
29th May 2021
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Our response to British Cycling
British Cycling is the national governing body for recreational and competitive cycle sports in Great Britain. In March 2021, they announced a new policy to address the participation of transgender and non-binary athletes in cycling events, and opened it for consultation. Their policy is that in order to provide...
14th May 2021
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Submission to British Cycling
Our response to British Cycling’s new transgender and non-binary participation policy, which fails to protect fairness for female riders.
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Submission to Rugby England
We draw on expertise from scientists, sports philosophers and female athletes in this response to the proposed new policy.
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Two new scientific reviews agree that transwomen athletes retain male advantage
The debate around inclusion of transgender athletes – and in particular whether biological males who identify as women should play in female sporting competitions and teams – is a fraught one. On one hand are those who advocate for fairness, and protection for the female category in sport; on...
7th March 2021
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Martina Navratilova seeks fair rules over women’s sport
Martina Navratilova and other sportswomen have launched a campaign to amend US President Biden’s Executive Order which demands sports participation based on gender identity. The Women’s Sports Policy Working Group is proposing a carve out at the “higher level” of High School, College and elite sport. “There have been...
3rd February 2021
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Transgender Women in the Female Category of Sport: Perspectives on Testosterone Suppression and Performance Advantage
This paper reviews how differences between males and females affect sporting performance and assess the evidence on testosterone suppression in removing the male performance advantage.
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Gender Recognition Act reform – evidence submission
We answer the Women and Equalities Select Committee‘s questions and make six recommendations.
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Dr Emma Hilton reviews the science supporting the IOC decision to let male-born transgender athletes into female competition
This is the video and transcript of the speech given by Dr Emma Hilton at the #WPUKFairPlay meeting in London on 10th July 2019. 21:21 video plus transcript
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A victory for female athletes everywhere
Doriane Lambelet Coleman explains the regulations about eligibility for the women’s category in international elite athletics competition; why they matter, and why there are so many athletes with a 46, XY DSD.
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BoysVsWomen
Website with animated charts showing times for male high-school athletes against those of female Olympians, plus track and field world records for male high-school athletes against the world’s best female athletes
